My beef would be with the local candidates’ organizations and the Jackson Co. Republican Committee in particular. It was as if they were non-existent. Bost spoke well, as did (local State House Rep.) Terri Bryant, but, damn, it takes a lot more than just short speeches at events like this!
Two other minor points:
The audio guys are not good enough. Yes, sound was clear right in front of the jumbotrons, and seemed ok inside the hangar when I got to it’s back entrance, but not much further, as security had a rear area blocked off. But, there was a considerable area between the rear jumbotron and speakers, and the rear hangar entrance, where there was a nasty effect almost like a single “slap echo”. This could be minimized (I won’t go into details here!): As it was, there was a large area near the rear of the hangar with people driven out of it because not much could be seen from there, and the sound (echo effect) was highly annoying and almost unintelligible. This had the effect of further splitting up the crowd / non-continuity, which tends to mute a crowd.
Also, that rear jumbotron needed to be mounted higher, so people in the middle and rear of the “rear-of-hanger crowd could see it better. The angle relative to the sun did not help either.